“Surely there,” cried I, “he could not be to blame! He comes upon his defence; ought he to look as if he gave himself up?”
“Why no; ’tis true he must look what vindication to himself he can; we must not blame him there.”
Encouraged by this little concession, I resolved to venture farther, and once more said “May I again, Mr. Windham, forget that you are a committee-man, and say something not fit for a committee man to hear?”
“O yes!” cried he, laughing very much, and looking extremely curious.
“I must fairly, then, own myself utterly ignorant upon this subject, and—and—may I go on?”
“I beg you will!”
“Well, then,—and originally prepossessed in favour of the object!”
He quite started, and with a look of surprise from which all pleasure was separated, exclaimed—“Indeed!”
“Yes!” cried I, “’tis really true, and really out, now!”
“For Mr. Hastings, prepossessed!” he repeated, in a tone that seemed to say—do you not mean Mr. Burke? “Yes,” I said, “for Mr. Hastings! But I should not have presumed to own it just at this time,—so little as I am able to do honour to my prepossession by any materials to defend it,—but that you have given me courage, by appearing so free from all malignity in the business. Tis, therefore, Your own fault!”